Sunflowers at McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area in Maryland

Field of Sunflowers (c) 2007 Patty Hankins

One of my favorite places to photograph in the Washington DC area in July is at the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area located in Western Montgomery County. Each summer, the state of Maryland plants fields of sunflowers at McKee-Beshers.

Sunflower (c) 2006 Patty Hankins

McKee-Beshers WMA is a 2000 acre area located on River Road just outside of Seneca, Maryland – not far from the intersection of River Rd and Rt 112. McKee-Beshers is on the left hand side of the road.

We visited McKee-Beshers on Saturday July 5th to see how this year’s crop of sunflowers is doing. The plants are growing – but not yet blooming. Best guess is that by later in the week, it should be gorgeous.

We found two fields of sunflowers this year. The first is located just off River Road at the first parking lot for Mc-Kee Beshers. The second field is on Sycamore Landing Road, just south of River Road. You’ll need to park along the side of the road for the second field since there isn’t a convenient parking lot. Each field covers a few acres.

Two Sunflowers (c) 2006 Patty Hankins

If you’re wondering why the state grows so many sunflowers – let’s just say – it’s a wildlife management area and McKee-Beshers does have areas set up for hunting and birding.

So if you like sunflowers (and who doesn’t) and you’re in the DC area in the next few weeks – head out to McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management area to see a spectacular display of sunflowers. You’ll see lots of other photographers, artists, and sunflower lovers there. And then you can join all of us who go into complete denial every year about why they really plant them all.

July 17 Update: I’ve just posted some of my 2008 Sunflower photos from McKee Beshers in a new post.